How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

 "The opposite of 'racist' isn't 'not racist.' It is 'antiracist.' What's the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an antiracist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an antiracist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist. There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist.' The claim of 'not racist' neutrality is a mask for racism."               -Ibram X. Kendi, from How to Be an Antiracist

After the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in May brought on a rash of protests and a reenergized Black Lives Matter movement, some of our church members felt compelled to DO something. In the midst of the COVID pandemic, it did not seem safe to be protesting among crowds of people but we could definitely start listening, reading and discussing the racial problems facing our community and nation. We decided to meet once a week to discuss parts of How to Be an Antiracist, which had been a NYT nonfiction bestseller. We read and discussed 2 chapters per week, starting at the end of August. I have learned a great deal from the book so I could easily rate it a 5 for its educational value and the amazing research it took to write. There were parts I thought were wordy and repetitive and others that were intellectually over my head making for arduous reading. There were some very interesting parts where Kendi shares his memories and life experiences, so for entertainment, my rating is 3. Overall I give the book a 4. I am glad I read it. I am not sure I would have finished if it had not been for the stimulating discussions of our group each week.

I felt the quote above which comes near the beginning of the book is a good introduction to Kendi's content. Rather that setting himself up as a know-it-all on this subject, Kendi shares his journey of self-reflection and how he discovered the many racist beliefs he had held. I believe he is asking the reader to do some of this same personal evaluation.

One point that Kendi makes loud and clear is that judging a whole group of people by the actions of individuals is wrong. He wants us to know it is not groups of people that are the problem; the problems lie in unequal power and inequitable and unjust policies. The author stresses it is not enough to say "I am not a racist," we must become "antiracists." This means we must identify racist ideas and policies and stand against them.

It was surprising that there are so many ways in which racism is revealed---power, biology, ethnicity, body, culture, behavior, color, whiteness, blackness, class, gender and sexuality---all treated in separate chapters of the book. I found an interesting summary: "6 Ways to to Be an Antiracist Because Being 'Not Racist' Isn't Enough" by Rebecca Ruiz from the "Amplify" series. Here is the link:

https://mashable.com/article/how-to-be-antiracist/

This Magnificent Dappled Sea by David Biro

 "In all these years, it never failed to amaze him, this magnificent dappled sea of bone marrow, ever regenerating and replenishing itself in an ongoing cycle that made life possible---red cells that carried oxygen to the tissues, white cells that fought off infection, and platelets that made the blood clot."

                      -Dr. Matteo Crespi's thinking, from the novel

I would have never guessed the significance of the title as shown in the quote above. I was thinking---island, sailing, something to do with the ocean. Not even close! An Amazon First Reads selection, the book was a good choice. I finished it in a few days so I'd call it a page-turner. My rating: 4.

In this novel we are introduced to several characters who are suffering in some way. The most central character is Luca Taviano, who at age 9 is diagnosed with leukemia and the prognosis is grim in 1992. He resides with his grandparents in in a small town in Italy. Nina Vocelli becomes Luca's nurse; she is hurting from a romantic rejection and, I believe, low self-esteem partly due to a facial birthmark. The reader then meets Rabbi Joseph Neiman of Brooklyn, NY, who, in his 50's, is having a crisis of faith, feeling he is missing something in his life. Even Luca's grandfather, Nonno, is plagued by guilt from memories of the past and lies he has told. It is heart-warming how some of these folks save others and, in turn, are saved themselves. I loved this quote from the Babylonian Talmud used by Samuel, the rabbi's son, in his bar mitzvah speech: "Whoever destroys a single life is as guilty as if he had destroyed the whole world; and whoever rescues a single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world."

The plot unfolds when a bone marrow donor is found, leading to research into Luca's background. (Luca's father, Paolo, was adopted but both he and Luca's mother died in a car accident years before.) I will leave it at that...no spoilers!

I was struck by the fact that Rabbi Joseph met regularly with friends, Father Lazzaro and Imam Hussein, for conversation. It reminded me of "Friends talking Faith with the Three Wise Guys" that used to air on Orlando public radio. The friends were a Christian pastor, a rabbi and an imam. 

It was cool that Luca's birthday was March 11, same as mine! For his 10th birthday, he got a horse. I would probably have loved to have a horse when I was 10!

The author is also a medical doctor. It makes sense! Some of the medical jargon was over my head, for sure!

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

 "...in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage."

                        -from the novel

I selected this novel when someone in our group suggested we should include a classic in this year's list. I thought I had read it years ago but I soon realized I probably had not. I didn't realize the length of the book (464 pages) and I barely was able to finish before the Page Turners met. Whew! I had gotten some negative feedback about the selection of the book so I wasn't very enthused about reading it. As it turned out, I really appreciated the beautiful writing and compelling story. It is easy to see how this classic book is known as a Great American Novel and earned Steinbeck a Pulitzer and contributed to his Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

The story is set during the Great Depression in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and begins with the Joad family loading a truck with family and belongings to move to California. They have been forced from their land and livelihood by drought and bank eviction. The Joad family consists of Ma, Pa, Grandpa, Granma, Uncle John, Noah, Tom (just paroled from prison), Al, Rose of Sharon and her husband Connie, Ruthie and Winfield. It is almost impossible to imagine all those people and their belongings loaded on a truck! The family has seen fliers indicating there are jobs aplenty in California so they have high hopes for the future.

I cannot begin to relate the obstacles the Joads face as they make their way west! Car troubles, mean authorities, deaths, people who would try to cheat them out of the little money they had and deplorable camps called Hoovervilles which are barely livable. 

It is surprising how some of the problems facing the Joads are relatable to people today, particularly immigrants. It was easy to feel empathy for this family but at the same time, I found their determination, resilience, compassion and loyalty so admirable. I am rating The Grapes of Wrath a 4. The author's style is outstanding---realistic dialogue, detailed characterizations and descriptive passages interspersed with the continuing plot that are quite lyrical in nature.

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 Twelve Page Turners met to discuss The Grapes of Wrath. The group's average rating is 4.2, with most participants voting 5's and 4's. A few had read it in their youth and did not remember it fondly and so did not reread it. One of our members said the older she has gotten the more she understands and appreciates the book. Several of us agreed. Some of the comments we heard were: "masterful writing," "depressing," "a clash of classes," "poetic," "hopeful." It was interesting that some found it depressing and others hopeful. We all agreed that many people today, minorities and immigrants, could identify with the Joads. 

One member said, "I read it many years ago and could not bring myself to read it again.  All I can remember is that they were poor and down-trodden at the beginning of the book.  And at the end of the book they were still poor and down-trodden.  What is a book for but to lift you up?  This one, not so much!!"

What do YOU think about that statement? I had a literature professor once who said good literature should teach lessons about life. The Grapes of Wrath certainly qualifies as good literature even though I must agree it is NOT FUN to read!

A few in our group had seen the film based on this novel, some multiple times. Our discussion really makes me want to see the movie! (photos below)

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The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

 "Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead?  ...maybe telling that story would change your life, or the life of someone you've not yet met."

                           -Julian Jessop, from The Authenticity Project

This novel was highly recommended by a friend and I found it quite delightful. It is cleverly written, a unique format with a story told by several interesting characters in short chapters, making for a real page-turner. There is much humor and a few twists and turns, adding to the entertainment value. 

Julian Jessop, an elderly gentleman, begins writing about his feelings of loneliness and invisibility in a composition book he entitles The Authenticity Project (see quote). He intentionally leaves the book in Monica's Café. Monica finds and reads Julian's story, decides to befriend him and eventually shares her own truths in The Authenticity Project book. As one might predict, the notebook gets passed along until 6 strangers have been connected by it, forming unexpected friendships, even romances along the way, and seemingly improving everyone's lives. Some characters are quirky and all have various real-world problems made easier by revealing the TRUTH. 

In her Acknowledgments, the author admits that this book is very personal for her and stems from her blog-turned-book, The Sober Diaries. She says, "What I discovered is that telling the truth about your life really can work magic and change the lives of many other people for the better." Herein, lies the theme of this novel.

I enjoyed the references to sites in London with which I was familiar: Chelsea and Sloane Square. It's interesting to come across British expressions like sweet shop, car bonnet, mobile phone, pushchair, portaloo and others. Bailey's Irish Cream, mentioned often, is a favorite drink of mine. Also it was quite a coincidence that I read How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny recently and she quoted Leonard Cohen's "Anthem" as Hazard does late in this novel:

"Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in."

Did I mention I REALLY liked this novel? My rating is a 5.